Life-boat.



C. PIERCE.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-24,1914.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

CURTIS PIERCE, OF GILTNER, NEBRASKA.

LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

Application filed February 24, 1914. Serial No. 820,666.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CURTIs PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Giltner, in the county of Hamilton, State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to life boats.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a life boat embodying an improved construction adapted to render same proof against swamping and capsizing in turbulent waters, and which will at all times protect the occupants from the elements.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a life boat constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section of the improved boat; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the joint between the floor and the air tube, and Fig. 6, a detail view disclosing the water tight joint between the rotatable shell of the boat and the air tube.

Referring to the drawings the improved life boat is shown as comprising a substantially cylindrical shell 10 having tapered ends 11. The shell 10 is provided with an opening 12 adapted to be closed by a water tight door 13, access of the passengers to the interior of the shell 10 being had through the opening 12 as will be obvious. The improved life boat further embodies L- shaped air tubes 14 and 15 having corresponding arms thereof rotatably mounted in respective ends of the shell 10 in line with the longitudinal axis of said shell. The other arms of the tubes 14 and 15 are disposed exteriorly of the shell and at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof. The joints between the shell and the tubes 14 and 15 are rendered water tight by means of stuffing boxes 16. Fixed to the ends of the tubes 14: and 15 disposed within the shell 10 are arms 17 which support at their free ends a floor 18 having seats 19 mounted thereon. Secured to the under side of the floor 18 are tanks'QO and 21 in which are adapted to be stored respectively water and food the weight of which latter acts as ballast tending to maintain the floor in a given position.

In the use of the boat it will be obvious that the weight of the floor 18 together with the weight of the occupants thereon will tend to always hold the exterior arms of the tubes 11 and 15 in vertical position and resist any tendency of the floor to rotate with the shell 10. Owing to the fact that the shell 10 is rotatable independently of the floor 18 it will be obvious that same can respond to the force of the waves and leave the occupants seated upon the floor practically undisturbed.

What is claimed is A life boat comprising a shell, L-shaped air tubes having corresponding arms rotatably mounted in respective ends of the shell, and said ends having their outer portions recessed around said arm to form a packing chamber, a gland threaded in each recess and encircling the adjacent arm, the other arm of said tubes being disposed exteriorly of the shell, arms fixed on the inner end of said tubes respectively within the shell and having lateral extensions, a floor having its terminals secured to said extensions, and supply tanks carried by the floor.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

CURTIS PIERCE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE N. PIERCE, GEO. A. HERZOG.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! rate-nus, Washington, D. C. 

